Star Trek: Phoenix Missing In Action S1E5
by andyblue1975
Summary: Episode 5 of Star Trek: Phoenix.


**ALPHA FLYER, IN THE LATE 23****RD**** CENTURY.....**

Ken knew straight away the significance of the date. It seemed almost like yesterday that he was present at Utopia Planitia, amongst living legends, and part of one of the biggest Starfleet projects of the latter half of the 23rd century. Craig whizzed over the console, scanning the area, and whistled; "Man, the traffic in this area is even busier than it is in our time. It's as if some kind of preparation for an event is underway, particularly with some of the ships that are docked here. Wait a minute; i'm picking up a major warp reading. Whatever ship it is, it's big, and about to exit warp....practically on top of us....!" Powering up the engines, Ken began distributing power where it was needed as Duco programmed manoeuvres into the computer, to shift the vessel out of harms way. With an almighty bang, the flagship of the Federation exited warp, and prepared for docking with the main hub of the station. The three colleagues all moved from their stations to peer out of the front window as the gigantic starship passed slowly overhead. "O....my....god.......N..C..C..1..7..0..1.....that's..." Duco was cut off as Ken gazed in awe & quietly uttered the words of the majestic ship, as the stern finally moved by; "...the U.S.S. Enterprise." As the Enterprise continued approach to dock, the clamshell shuttlebay doors opened, as a ship exited. The ship was silver & cylindrical from nose to stern, with triple fins at the rear, whilst midships the vessel sported wings with a nacelle at the end of each. Craig activated the com channel to see if he could pick up any activity. "NX Delta you are now free to navigate towards the initiation point. Commence pre flight countdown for thirty minutes.....mark!" "Enterprise, this is Lieutenant Gulliver, acknowledged & understood." Ken was in a daze, as this was all too familiar to him, and as the memories came flooding back, he knew the dialogue very well & what would be spoken next. "NX Delta. Lieutenant Mumford & Gulliver, this is Admiral Kirk. Good luck & best of wishes from the whole crew. Good hunting. Kirk out." With expressions of total incredulity, Craig & Duco turned to face Ken, as if telepathically requesting answers. They didn't notice the bright light that appeared that formed into a humanoid form, with his feet up perched on the engineer's console. "You do know that you boys aren't supposed to be here?!"

**COUNSELLOR WALKER'S OFFICE.**

Rez was pacing up & down, whilst Kirsty had to admit that it wasn't one of her more recommended therapeutic postures. Also, there was a danger that the carpet that she had specially made out of Tholian silk would be worn out with his constant pacing. "So, let me get this straight, there is an old Vulcan who seemed real to you when you exchanged pleasantries on Vulcan, yet now haunts the ship?! Have you tried searching through the Vulcan database, or approached Sodak to see if he knows who this Valik is?!" Rez finished his pacing & lay down on the couch, whilst controlling his breathing down to a more normal rate; a rate which wouldn't risk hyperventilation. "As i expected, when i approached Sodak on the subject, he wasn't forthcoming. Vulcans can be so secretive, and i had noticed that when i mentioned Valik's name, it looked like he had seen a ghost also!" Kirsty accessed the Vulcan database, and smiled triumphantly as she read out loud the information that she had retrieved.

**Valik was a Vulcan priest, part of the Order Of Seleya. He was killed not long after the Vulcan Time Of Awakening. He believed that for the race to truly achieve enlightenment, their way of life could not only be dictated by logic alone. He felt that logic needed slight balance by emotion, and also felt that emotion could be controlled by logic. He felt that the two could work in tandem, yet with logic being the dominating force. Surak & his followers were disgusted by this, and felt the only way to avoid destruction between the people on a global scale, was to invoke total logic. Therefore, he was outcast, and because the passionate tribes were abhorred by his logical stance, he was mobbed, and left for dead. Many nationals & off worlders have reported sightings of him, and clerics believe that although a katra is always laid to rest, his katra cannot rest as it is troubled. **

"Well, it seems like you have a troubled spirit that has latched on to you. If ancient Earth myths are anything to go by, troubled spirits tend to latch on to those who they feel can help them, or an equally troubled person, sometimes leading to peace found on both parts." Rez rolled his eyes; "Great, i have my very own shamen following my every move." Kirsty smiled, and offered up her professional response; "I believe that the resurfacing of the Prometheus incident & the spirit attachment is no coincidence. It is a sign perhaps that it is time to try the Vulcan techniques you have been avoiding such as neuropressure, meditation, or perhaps even a mind meld. It is time i feel, that as your Counsellor, you need to reckon with the memories of the events that plague you, before they consume you, and cost you your career."

**ALPHA FLYER.**

Q, as smug as ever, removed his feet from resting on the engineering station, stood up, and joined the officers. Adjusting his uniform and brushing away imaginary flecks of dust, he requested their opinion. "So boys, what do you think of the uniform? This is definitely one of the best of the classic designs Starfleet employed, and that was proven by how long it was kept in service. Who'd have thought that James T. Kirk and I would be of the same build?! I wonder if he is enjoying his new uniform?" As Q explained, the three officers exchanged glances that changed from puzzlement at Q's cryptic comments, to humorous understanding. (Whilst on the Enterprise, a rather embarrassed James T. Kirk headed off the bridge & towards his quarters at speed, sans uniform). Eager to get to the bottom of the situation, Ken demanded answers. "What do you want Q? If we are not meant to be here, why don't you just snap your fingers & send us back to our time?" "But what's the rush? You have only just got here. Don't you miss being in your own time Ken? The time you were accidentally removed from?" Before Ken could answer, Q snapped his fingers, and they all found themselves in a cinema, with a bucket of warm popcorn in their laps, whilst wearing 3d glasses. The curtains went back revealing a 5 second countdown on the screen. "Hush up boys, we don't want to be thrown out of the cinema by the ushers! This is a good film….o look….it's starting! You may know the main stars. Firstly, the pilot is played by Ken Mumford, strangely playing himself, yet Lieutenant Gulliver is played by.....well....i won't spoil the surprise just yet." Infuriated by the silly games & mockery courtesy of the omnipotent being, Ken stood up and placed his box of popcorn over Q's head, emptying the contents. He then made his way down the stairs heading to what he deemed was a corridor to the way out, and hopefully back to their vessel. Duco & Craig followed suit, whilst Q finished removing the last remaining bits. "Ohhhh, boys, we were just getting to the good part!" As Ken got to the bottom of the stairs of the cinema screen, an usher blocked his way. Craig & Duco halted behind him, still wearing their 3d glasses & carrying their popcorn. The usher was no ordinary cinema employee, as he was all 6 foot, 5 inches of Klingon. "Federation! You are not welcome here! You are my prisoners!" A puzzled Craig responded; "Prisoners?! We are allies!" The warrior approached Craig, and whilst laughing maniacally, grabbed his box of popcorn and helped himself to the goodies inside. However, what he lifted out wasn't a fistful of popcorn, but a fistful of gagh, as he stuffed the writhing worms into his mouth with urgency. Horrified, Craig & Duco dropped their boxes, and as they tumbled to the floor, gagh spilled everywhere in writhing masses. Bearing his teeth with bits of gagh between them, the warrior laughed as he unsheathed his personal blade. Even the near dark of the cinema, it seemed to have an eerie glow of finality about it. The glow heightened to an almost piercing brightness as the warrior lifted it above his head, laughing whilst preparing for a killing blow. Then the light encompassed them all as they found themselves back on the Alpha Flyer.

**BRIDGE, U.S.S. PHOENIX.**

The bridge was a hive of activity as it the lighting bathed the area in a red hue, as it warped towards its destination, under priority orders from Admiral Janeway.

_**Captain's Log April 30**__**th**__** 2380. I have had to abandon the search fleet in our futile attempt to locate the missing Alpha Flyer. We have been ordered to the planet Athena Sirius to negotiate for the release of Federation ambassadors. At the same time i am collecting sooner than anticipated, my new Science Officer, the half human, half Deltan Lieutenant Sharon Miller, whom has been stationed on Athena Sirius for twelve months. Across the quadrant, remnants of Klix's race, have been found in different forms, with many technological finds coming alive. Archaeologists from many races have managed to decipher some of the language, thanks to Klix's involvement, with the extinct civilisation loosely translated as named 'The Firstborn.' For millennia, an ancient space station has orbited the planet, and up until recently has remained dormant. The sun has been showing unusual solar activity, indicating the sun increasing in mass. If this is to be true, the flares will ravage all planets in the star system making them uninhabitable. However, the station has come alive and some kind of dish like array has been siphoning off the power, keeping the sun from increasing in mass & within normal parameters. It has then been directing the energy at the planet's core, giving the planet's low energy core a new lease of life. Athena Sirius is fast becoming a garden spot with increased vegetation, and more temperate climate. However, the planet is home to two cultures who claim territory to exactly half the planet each. The Kelnar are spiritualists, follow faith, and believe that if the planet & their star system are reaching the end of its natural life, then no technology should prevent that, nor should they be evacuated. The Gavvadar have a more advanced civilisation, and involve technology as part of their everyday culture, akin to Earth, Vulcan, & other Federation cultures. They believe that the station is a gift given to them for protection & salvation, and if it ultimately stops the sun from expanding, then they believe the orbiting station should be left to carry out the programming of its ancestors. Because the Gavvadar will not use their vessels to destroy the station, nor the ambassadors order any Starfleet vessels the same, the diplomats have been taken hostage as bargaining tools.**_

Tapping out commands on his armrest, and obtaining the required information, Commander Davenport relayed the updates to the Captain. "If we continue at warp nine, we should be at our destination in one standard Federation hour. Do you have a plan, Simon, if standard negotiations fail?" Shaking his head, knowing full well that he had no plan b to hand, Simon sighed. "As of this moment, a backup plan doesn't spring to mind, apart from sending in a security team to take the hostages by force." Smiling, Andy promptly responded; "Perhaps that could be a plan c?!" Realisation dawned on the Captain's face; "What plan b did you have in mind?"

**COUNSELLOR WALKER'S OFFICE.**

As Sodak entered Kirsty's office, he froze on the spot, coming to the conclusion that he had interrupted a counselling session. "It's ok Sodak, you are not interrupting anything. I summoned you as i require your telepathic skills." Raising an eyebrow, Sodak responded; "Using my skills for whatever therapeutic technique you wish to include them in, could possibly have an element of danger. Not just on the recipient, but on me also." Kirsty laughed, recalling the bonding they had experienced, and the out of body experience that the anomalous heightened sensation had caused. If it wasn't for the ceremony on Vulcan, they would have stayed in the existence that Sodak could only describe as a possible next stage of humanoid evolution. "Sodak, the danger is minimal compared to the experience we shared. Studying the practices of the Kohlinahr, should make you a more confident user of your mental capacities, where this time, you will be in control, and not them." As Sodak paced, deliberating his decision, Rez hoped that he could finally be purged of what haunted him. The pacing was starting to irritate Kirsty, who didn't have all of eternity for the now cautious Vulcan to make a decision. "Sodak, will you sit down." Gesturing to an empty chair, he stopped, followed her pointing hand, looked at the chair, and continued to pace. "I could make it an order, Ensign, considering i outrank you." Raising an eyebrow again, Sodak sat down on the offered seat, and steepled his fingers, whilst attempting to make a decision. "Sodak. Your colleague, Rez, has been haunted recently by surfacing memories from his days on the U.S.S. Prometheus." Sodak maintained the same position of thought, as if he hadn't heard a word Kirsty had said. "He has also been haunted by visions of a Vulcan monk named Valik." Suddenly snapping bolt upright in his seat, from his crouching, thinking position, Sodak looked wide eyed at Rez, and raised his eyebrow yet again. "Fascinating."

**ALPHA FLYER.**

The three officers appeared on the super shuttle, at their seated stations, albeit wearing school uniforms, rather than standard issue. Q was adorned in a mortar board, long black gown, and waving a wooden cane in his hand. "Twenty fourth century officers, what do you know about the transwarp trials?" Craig & Duco looked at each other, whilst bursting into laughter at how ridiculous each of them looked in their cap, shirt, tie, and shorts. Q, now nose to nose with Craig, repeated the question, but this time in slow motion. "There is no information available apart from what was & is available on the Excelsior;" replied Craig. Ken put his head in his hands as he shook it with despair, as he knew the real answer to the question, whilst the com channel filled the cabin in the background with communication from the test craft & operations at Utopia Planitia. "Transwarp information was & still is deemed classified, apart from The Great Experiment files." In a flash of light the three officers appeared behind a panel with buzzers on, with a clapping audience watching, whilst Q, (adorning a cheesy, glittery jacket, and even cheesier smile), appeared in front of a giant digital screen, flashing the word in big letters, 'WIN.' Another flash of light, and they were back as they were previously, attired in their standard uniform. Ken continued, as the officers listened to the comm traffic, whilst occasionally looking out of the window as the test vessel came into view. "Everything was going so well, and we were about to make history, when Gulliver reported a feedback cascade in the engines. As he tried to rectify it....." "He started to phase in & out of the space time continuum, as if the cascade from the transwarp drive was affecting him somehow;" Q rudely interrupted. "Correct, replied Ken, which we made history of another kind.....ourselves." Pacing with his usual swagger, Q pointed them in the direction of the cockpit window, and the speakers. "I believe history is about to be made again."

**COUNSELLOR WALKER'S OFFICE.**

Sodak had prepared an incredibly elaborate mind meld ritual, to be held in the utmost tradition of his respected Vulcan forefathers. All participants wore traditional robes of black silk, whilst candles filled the air with an ever so slight fragrance of spice. An ancestral rug was laid on the floor, woven with a tapestry displaying events in his culture and family history. As Rez kneeled to face Sodak, a table was between displaying a teapot and two cups. Sodak filled the cup, and passed it to Rez. "All journeys have a beginning and end. Those journeys must not be taken on an empty stomach, without adequate nutritional or hydrating needs fulfilled." Rez tentatively sipped at the warm, colourless liquid, and found it surprisingly good, as he finished the tea in earnest. Sodak did not need to motion to the Counsellor as she moved the table away. Placing his fingers at specific channelling points on Rez's face, Sodak closed his eyes whilst Rez followed suit. "My mind to your mind.....my thoughts to your thoughts.....see your mind working back through the mists of time....back.....further back.....halting at the birthplace of our respective forefathers....see them impart on us the gift of knowledge....then the gift of memory.....see the essential tool that memory is......reminding ourselves of pivotal moments in our lives that nothing could ever reproduce with such clarity......see the gift that is memory.....then bring yourself forward......forward....to a point where memory was a tool used for a dark purpose.....to unwittingly memorise a dark chapter of life......" Rez's heart rate increased as he found himself no longer in the familiar surroundings of Sodak's quarters, but on the U.S.S. Prometheus.

**ALPHA FLYER.**

The three officers and Q listened intently to the com traffic. ".......some kind of power fluctuation is increasing in momentum from the phase variance coils......Gulliver.....can you rectify it?" "It's no good Ken......my commands have no effect on it.....aaaaaaahhhhhh!" Outside the crafts cockpit window the NX Delta and its occupants completely vanished. The silence was broken by an applauding Q. "Bravo! Bravo. Welcome to the continuum!" Living through displacement was bad enough, but to have to experience it again but as a helpless onlooker, was sadness on a whole new level. But then it dawned on him as to why Gulliver was nowhere to be found upon their reappearance in the 24th century, and why Q had reacted in such a way. Q, the all seeing, all knowing watcher of space, time and dimension, sensed Ken's leap in thought. "Ah ha! You see?! Your species has always had the potential to see beyond the seeable. Your assumptions are correct Kenneth. Gulliver, was my protégé, but he preferred to go by another name, especially with his abilities that were and are beyond anything Q like. The Traveller had discovered another plane of existence that not even the Q elders knew about. But they forbade encouragement of it, fearing the worst." Q stopped for a while to let the words sink in to the crew. "You see, humanoids aren't ready for transwarp in this time, nor are you ready for it in yours. Other galaxies, dimensions, sub-spatial domains are out there ready for discovery. But, those stars aren't the friendly one's of the Federation, and you are not at the evolutionary stage where your eyes will accept all that you see before you, no matter how hard you try to comprehend what you perceive." Now it was Ken's turn to stand up and raise a round of applause. "Well done Q. Well done. Well, it seems you are full of answers, as well as hot air. So, bright spark, just how on Earth are we going to get home?" Standing up and tugging at his tunic in a manner customary to another well known Starfleet Captain, Q disappeared in a flash of light, echoing the words; "The question is, how did you end up here?" The officers puzzled looks and attempt at deciphering the omnipotent beings constant conundrums, were broken by a multitude of alarms in the Flyer, as well as an increase in com chatter. Rushing to their stations, each officer danced their finger over the consoles readying the Flyer for operation. "Holy hell. Enterprise, Yorktown, & Excelsior are powering up with programmed trajectories heading in our direction. "Federation shuttle, this is Admiral James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise. Your encoded id & registration is unrecognizable. State your origin & purpose, and lower your shields in preparation for boarding."

**2373, U.S.S. PROMETHEUS, EMINDIKAR VII, (FORMERLY EMINIAR VII).**

_**Captain's Log, Captain Matthew Dougherty commanding. Eminiar VII is celebrating a century of peace between itself and Vendikar, after several centuries of theoretical fighting prior. Unfortunately, not long after peace was brokered between the worlds courtesy of the crew of the Enterprise N.C.C. 1701 & Ambassador Robert Fox, Vendikar suffered catastrophic climate change, and a major shifting of the poles. Luckily, a combined Eminian & Vendikan fleet managed to transport off the surface as many people as possible, and over time, made true peace by making their homes within Eminian society. Now a Federation protectorate for many years, we have been assigned to provide assistance in setting up their defences, in light of the growing Dominion threat. As abhorrent an idea as fighting for real is to the citizens, and proud of their century long peace in light of times past, i have highlighted to Minister Baraku 4, that now their planet is a target with the discovery of a mantle rich in benamite. We are returning to the planet to collect the security & defence team that i assigned to make the necessary precautions and work in tandem with the Emindikar Defence Core.**_

Rez could see it all playing out as it was before, but this time he had a companion in Sodak witnessing the events that were about to unfold. Maybe Sodak's guidance would help put the demons to rest and bring about an end to the perpetual nightmare.

Dougherty was all business, and took seriously the task at hand as he issued commands from his chair, whilst Rez, standing next to him, delegated staff as & where required. The conversation was already in full swing between the Captain & the Minister when Rez had been called up to the bridge. "Ahhh....Commander, it is pleasing to see you again. How does the security training & courses go?" If anything, Baraku 4 was always hospitable, genuine, and very down to Earth. Regardless of his hectic diary, he always had the time to make pleasantries. "I'm almost ready to take the final exam. It seems that i have advanced through the modules at a record pace," Rez replied. "I don't doubt it Commander. Your recommendations & resolutions to our problematic shield conception were ingenious to say the least. Also, your no nonsense approach to acquiring & installing Federation surface to air pulse cannons, will provide us with adequate protection should any invading forces come." Rez found himself somewhat confused by the Minister's words. It was as if the universal translator had failed, and automatically, he glanced briefly in the direction of ops to see if anything was amiss, even though the officer in attendance seemed to be relaxed & engrossed in their duties. Something was wrong about this, as he had never witnessed any communiqués, mandates, or orders authorizing such armaments. Sure, the Minister had stated that they were working on a pulse cannon planet wide protection system, but it had been in the early stages of development. Surely, to simply hand weapons over, even to a Federation member not at the same level of weapon development, was a direct contravention of the Prime Directive. He had heard of rules being relaxed somewhat as certain elements of Starfleet & the Federation were to be protected at all costs, but not directly ignoring one the founding principles of pre-Federation Starfleet. "Minister, forgive me if i may seem rude but perhaps i could have a moment with my Captain?" Before Baraku 4 could even reply, Rez had cut the transmission. "Matthew, what the hell is going on?" Rez, don't make it out to be something it is not. You know the many applications that benamite has, from increased engine power, to energy for planets and colonies, to medical sciences. The Dominion....." "To hell with them, that isn't the issue right now. You are a Captain of a Federation starship, setting an example to your crew and to other starships, as well as flying the flag for the Federation!" Rez was beside himself with anger, and couldn't believe that everything that Starfleet & the Federation stood for, would be relaxed or altered somewhat due to the stresses of an impending war. At that moment, before Dougherty could respond, the ship was jolted by a hit that destroyed the ops console, and threw the officer over it and on to the floor, meeting his untimely death by breaking his neck on landing. The Captain's arm console flashed showing an incoming hail, which he immediately put it on screen. Minister Baraku 4 appeared smiling, but this time his smile appeared anything but genuine. "It seems we have a successful test of the cannon system. Not bad considering you managed to salvage them from decommissioning, but i fear that what you have given us won't be enough to prevent an invasion from Jem Hadar shock troopers, so therefore, i feel you should help us further by relinquishing your phaser armoury to me, or i will have you blown out of the sky."

**ALPHA FLYER.**

The Enterprise was the first vessel to close rapidly, as it fired a warning spread of torpedoes over the vessel. It seemed that over the com chatter, the disappearance of the NX Delta had been so close in the vicinity of the Alpha Flyer, that the coincidence was too likely to ignore by Kirk and the other Captains. Taking a shoot-first-ask-questions-later attitude, Kirk wanted answers for the loss of two of his prized officers, and the experimental vessel. Not able to move anywhere fast, the quantum core still wasn't at one hundred percent, and the crew knew that wherever they went, they would be branded renegades & hunted down. There would be no hiding places for them after this incident, and no doubt somewhere, Q was giggling to himself at the latest hoops he had placed in front of the twenty fourth century officers to jump through. The interior of the Flyer was bathed in a red glow, as the strip lighting denoted a status of battle stations. Another red globe launched from the torpedo room of the Enterprise, on course to impact the rear of the vessel as the other ships got closer, giving them not many options of routes for escape. Picking himself up from the floor, Duco dusted himself off. "Direct hit. Our shields won't take much more of an attack, especially if the other vessels join the party!" The impact sent a static charge of tiny bolts running up and down the outer casing of the core, as a worried Ken noticed the fluctuations on his board. "The engine isn't in a good way at all, and is unpredictable at best! I'm trying to keep it stabilized for now." Then a familiar voice, almost legendary in the officers time, spoke through the speakers. "Unknown Federation vessel. Have you communications difficulties? Please stand down, otherwise i will have to use necessary force." Ken shook his head at Duco & Craig as he could see in their faces an overwhelming enthusiasm to reply. He too felt it, and wanted to let his commanding officer know that he was ok, but knew the consequences of the possible damage they had done to the timeline already. "Incoming!" announced Duco. The torpedo slammed into the stern of the Flyer with such ferocity that consoles started to spark under the strain, as the illuminations of the vessel started to flicker in protest. But it wouldn't have mattered if they were sat in the dark, as the quantum core suddenly increased its brightness. There was nothing Ken could do, again, to avoid the inevitable. "Cascade in progress.....we're about to jump to warp again....!"

**PROMETHEUS.**

All eyes now focused on the Captain and his next move, in particular, Rez scrutinized him even closer, after all, he would be failing in his duty of First Officer if he simply went along with the situation. But regardless of his position, the whole situation was full of moral issues, and questionable actions. It wasn't simply a case of following by the book regulations & Starfleet training, it was also a matter of trusting instincts. Right now, his instincts were telling him that the man who he had looked up to and was learning from in preparation for Captaincy, was a man who broke trust. If trust couldn't be made between a Captain & his First Officer, then no relationship could even be born or develop, let alone survive. "I cannot believe it that you are seriously pondering handing over all our weaponry to this madman! Do you think that as soon as he gets what he wants, he'll let our officers beam back to the ship and keep his promise not to blow us out of the sky? The biggest irony of all is that we are about to meet our end courtesy of our own weapons offered to an allegedly benign culture, to prevent them from being invaded by the most aggressive species this quadrant has ever seen." Dougherty stood up from his chair, and stroked his beard, appearing as if he were about to address Baraku 4. With shields down, and propulsion in need of maintenance, they were pretty much sitting ducks. If Dougherty was going to deny Baraku 4's demands, the security & engineering officers would be executed one by one in a vaporising booth, whilst the Prometheus would be reduced to dust. If the demands were met, then Rez personally knew that the outcome would be no different. "Baraku 4, we shall organize a trade off. I will beam down our armoury supplies to you, and simultaneously, you will beam my officers aboard. Do we have a deal?" Rez unclipped his neck pips and combadge, and handed them to Dougherty, whilst simultaneously broadcasting a ship wide message. "All hands this Commander Reza Babai. We have found ourselves in a stalemate situation, with an aggressor demanding we supply them with our whole armoury, which consists of weaponry far in advance of their technology. They claim that if we don't meet their demands, they will execute our officers already on the planet, and blow us out of the sky with our very own ground based pulse cannons we supplied to them. I believe Captain Dougherty has made a mistake in agreeing to their demands, as they will simply just destroy us regardless. Those of you who want to stay behind and witness your end are welcome to do so, whilst anyone else who doesn't is welcome to come along with me, man all shuttles and escape pods, and abandon ship. Babai out." Matthew looked at Rez in disbelief at his insubordinate actions. "What the hell are you doing man? I demand that you stay on the ship and help me bring this matter to a close. Do you want to be dragged through a court martial for defying your Captain's orders? Do you?!" Rez placed his rank insignia, communicator badge, and pips in Dougherty's open palm, and walked off the bridge, as all remaining officers followed suit. Exiting the bays, all classes of shuttles made their escape, as those who couldn't get on a shuttle, found an alternative form of transport via an escape pod. Whizzing round the bridge & using all his past training, experiences, & ingenuity, he managed to dredge power to the forward shields, and impulse. Realizing that Dougherty had gone back on his word, Baraku 4 ordered the pulse cannon operators to take the vessel out of the sky. As the Phoenix took hit after hit, and Dougherty found himself manning what was left of the bridge, he was completely unaware of events on the surface, apart from the fact that he knew his officers would be executed. However, in all screens planet wide, Baraku 4 had been televising the debacle, and showing the masses that he wasn't a Minister to be trifled with, as he delivered propaganda & subliminal messages that once again, their world was a power to be reckoned with. But the people had gotten tired of the incessant propaganda, and stormed the Minister's buildings, overwhelming the security force. The civilians mobbed the security force, using what implements they could find to bring to bear as weapons, and as rocks were repeatedly cracked against one Emindikar's officers already bloodied head, the rest met with similar fates, freeing the Starfleet engineering & security team. Joining with the civilians coup d'état, they gained access to the inner sanctum. As Baraku 4 stood up to howl in defiance, a pointed piece of wood pierced his throat. Clutching the area and attempting to remove the wood, he fell to the floor as the blood swiftly & profusely left his veins. The pulse cannons had stopped firing on the Prometheus, but it was too late as the shields had given way and the ship was done for. Using the last bit of power left, and avoiding sparking overhead cables dangling freely, Dougherty aimed the descending ship directly at the location of the Minister's palace. Monitoring the situation on the shuttlecraft Icarus, Rez noticed that the Captain's Yacht had been deployed & was heading in the general direction of the escaping vessels. As the Yacht eventually caught up the distance, the Prometheus was dropping like a stone as it broke through the atmosphere......

**BRIDGE, U.S.S. PHOENIX.**

_**Captain's Log. We have arrived at Athena Sirius and have established contact with the leader of the Kelnar, Valk. He has appointed Lieutenant Miller as the liaison between our people, due to his trust in her due to their similar beliefs. **_

"Perhaps you should explain to Valk that we have a non interference guideline that precludes us from the tampering of anything that is part of the natural order of a culture. Who is to say that this station that has been left behind isn't part of the natural order of things, & that wasn't left here for the sole reason that the builders knew the sun was going to go nova? Even if we wanted to stop the machine, we cannot at as what we have pinpointed as a central command centre, doesn't support human life, but i believe one of my officers, who has some sort of connection with this machinery, could beam over & find a way to shut it down, if that's what it will take to release the hostages." In the corner of his eye, Simon could see Andy feverishly working with the ops officer at the console. Andy turned to look at Simon and slightly nodded to confirm that their plan was in full swing. He had managed to tap in to a public address system all over their territory that would be used for broadcasting prayer, the reading of scriptures, hymns, and other related material. It was a very basic & rudimentary system, using very limited technology, which contradicted their faith, but for its purpose the people believed it was much needed. Valk chose the moment to speak up for himself, whilst pushing Sharon out of view. "You have a being that is responsible for this offensive contraption that plagues our skies? I feel that you should get a move on with the task at hand before my anger takes control of me, and i do something rash!" Getting up from his chair and walking towards the screen, as he made eye contact with Andy for assurance & confirmation, Simon put on his game face. "We have offered to meet your demands, so perhaps being a reasonable man of faith, you could perhaps come to agree on a mutually beneficial resolution? May i suggest that firstly you allow us to beam a number of hostages up, we beam our officer over to the station, he terminates its operation, and then you allow us to beam the rest of the hostages aboard?" Valk turned away to speak to one of his advisors. "We have an agreement Captain, you may beam up the one that is called Sharon and the Vulcan ambassador." Andy had already relayed the instruction to the main transporter room, where Klix was standing by. As he beamed over to the station, Lieutenant Miller beamed aboard along with Senk. The ambassador was escorted to guest quarters by an awaiting crewman, whilst Sharon decided to head for the bridge where she knew she would be needed. Entering the bridge, Simon briefly acknowledged her presence, before continuing discussions with Valk. "Welcome aboard Lieutenant. I just wish you joining the crew were in better circumstances."

**COUNSELLOR WALKER'S QUARTERS.**

The mind meld was over, and Sodak had successfully locked away the troublesome memories once and for all, helping Rez come to terms with the incident that had haunted him for so long. "I sensed Valik with you, and i also sensed that as you finally were starting to feel some peace as we approached the end of the mind meld. In fact, i can't be sure, but i may have heard him whisper gratitude. It seems that out of all the troublesome souls his spirit had encountered, yours was on an equal footing with his. So, you should see no more Vulcan spirits, or receive visitations, but you will have from time to time, an overwhelming urge of logic." Rez realised that it wasn't stubbornness or ignorance that had stopped him from going through with the only sure treatment that would give him a semblance of peace. It was the fear. The fear of re-living the incident, and the fear of intrusion into his mind. But now, he felt something he hadn't felt truly for a long time. The feeling of peace was almost tangible, and had a feeling of newness about it as if he had never experienced it in all of his living days. Unfortunately, his moment of clarity would be short lived as the officers were suddenly jolted to one side. The ship appeared to lurch violently almost as if some giant invisible hand were rocking it as they were thrown to the floor by another jolt. As the familiar klaxon & red flashing lights of battle stations sounded, & though they were still attired in the traditional robes, they hurried to their stations on the bridge.

**KLIX.**

Everything was unfamiliar with what memories he had, yet at the same time his surroundings felt familiar. It was almost as if the ancient rusting walls themselves resonated with the voices of his forefathers who designed the station, to those who built, to those who put it into operation. As he rubbed his hand across one of the segments that still had its metallic shine, to remove the dust that lightly covered it, he finally came to understand the human phrase of if walls could talk. He could see on a viewscreen what was happening outside as the Phoenix maintained orbit. Suddenly a hissing & clicking sound preceded two panels sliding back at vertical opposites as a console rose from the depths. Adorned with flashing lights, buttons, levers, and dials, Klix's machine mind started to attempt the workings of the device. As Klix managed to work out which of the functions controlled the dish that was drawing power from the sun, and the dish that transferred the energy to the planets core, he was met by miniature sparks of electricity, as his hands worked over the console. Something was taking over, as in mere moments, a download consisting of how to operate the station was complete. He was seeing guidance, thruster control, and the main operation of the dishes, play out in his mind as clear as day. Finally, he completely understood the inner workings of the machine of his ancestors, as he managed to shut down its operations. As he tapped his combadge to inform Simon that he had completed his task, he dematerialised.

**BRIDGE, U.S.S. PHOENIX.**

With the station inoperative, Simon was ready to play his trump card. "As you can see, we have neutralised what you perceive as a threat, Valk, so please release your grasps on the remaining hostages for beam out." Everytime some kind of technology related word had been used in the exchange, Simon could see that his advisors were physically disgusted by the topic. Almost as if they were some kind of swear word, or a curse, or as if anything technological was a disease in itself. However, he wasn't about to get into a discussion with someone who clearly wasn't playing with a full deck. With the beaming of hostages complete, and orders relayed to helm for warp 5 on his command to escape the impending solar eruption and destruction of the sun, Simon left Valk with a parting gift. "O, er one last thing. I like the informative public address system you have set up for your people to listen to religious broadcasts. I like the minimalistic technological input into its crafting, which enabled us to hack into it, and transmit to your people details of our exchange. You see Valk, you have been hypocritical to the people and to your faith, as you requested an advanced starship and its tech minding crew to shut down what you described as interference to the natural order of things. Good luck with the mob. Hodgkinson out." Rez applauded the Captain's speech, as well as Andy, whilst Sodak merely raised an eyebrow as Sharon shook her head with despair. Then all hell broke loose as in a sudden blinding flash of light, the station exploded, as the shockwave impacted on the ship causing destruction & chaos. The Phoenix drifted helplessly, as the Athena Sirius sun entered its final death throes......


End file.
